What Is Audi Quattro and How Does It Work?
Audi’s rally-derived Quattro all-wheel drive system is renowned for its unparalleled performance and innovative technical solutions. When it launched back in the 1980s, it was revolutionary compared to rivals’ solutions, turning the cars that had it into rally cars for the road that were also excellent daily drivers.
Thanks to Quattro’s spectacular traction, it allows the driver to blast out of any corner with great confidence. Here, we’ll explore its history and different generations to understand how Audi Quattro operates and what makes it special.
The History of Audi Quattro
Quattro (meaning “four” in Italian) was introduced in 1980 to give Audi the edge over competitors in rally racing. It was originally the name given to Audi’s first all-wheel drive (AWD) rally car, but has now become the brand name for its AWD system found across most of its vehicles.
The Audi Quattro name reached prominence soon after its inception, when vehicles equipped with this system started dominating the rally competition scene. Because of this, the time became known as “The Quattro Era” among rally fans.
When Audi first launched its vehicles, they weren’t as popular as they are today. Through generations of revisions and redesigns, the manufacturer made a name for itself as a luxury car manufacturer that not only had great attention to detail, but also a sporty rally-bred edge—all thanks to Quattro.
All-Wheel Drive vs. Four-Wheel Drive
All-wheel drive (AWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD or 4x4) are two different ways of sending a car’s power to all four wheels, and the terms are not interchangeable.
AWD is most commonly found on normal passenger vehicles, where it’s sometimes selectable (you can toggle whether you want to have both axles driven or just one.)
4WD is almost exclusively found on trucks, SUVs, and heavy-duty vehicles that have dedicated differential lockers and sometimes a low-range gearbox—this helps make them excellent off-road.
How Does Audi Quattro Operate?
A large contributor to why Audi Quattro is different from how many other AWD systems work is the way it sends power to the wheels. Using sensors to detect wheel speed variations at all four corners, it shuffles power to where it is needed the most to maximize traction.
While older Quattro models exclusively adjusted which wheel got torque via mechanical means, more modern Quattro vehicles that usethe CAN protocolrely on sensors and other electronics to do the same. Just like many other AWD systems, Quattro utilizes a center differential.
Under normal driving circumstances, only one axle is powered, as most roads provide sufficient grip. In more challenging conditions, power will be sent to the front and/or rear. This is all handled by the car’s traction control.
Variations in Audi Quattro
Enthusiasts consider the first generation of Quattro (also known as Gen 1) to be the best. This generation offered the ability to electronically lock the center and rear differentials, which allowed equal distribution of power to each wheel, granting the driver more control over how the car handled.
Thanks to its stellar performance on the rally scene, Quattro dominated the competition so much that it was banned in the following years. Starting in 1988, all Audis came equipped with the Gen 2 Quattro systems, which included the Torsen center differential. Rather than a 50/50 power split, 80 percent of the engine’s power could now be sent to the front or rear axle.
Thanks to its center differential, the Torsen-based Quattro system can easily vary which axle it sends the power to. This isn’t how the Haldex system works, which is used in Audi’s front-wheel drive vehicles, as it can usually only send up to 50 percent of the power to the rear axle. While the addition of a rear differential means the Haldex system can do the same basic things that the Torsen solution can, it’s not considered to be true Audi Quattro by most enthusiasts.
Some Quattro models are equipped with Sport differentials and other performance-enhancing gadgets that allow them to excel in the playground they were designed for.
Audi Quattro’s Legacy
Starting from the grassroots, Audi Quattro has proven that it has a place both in motorsport and on the road, where it allows driving enthusiasts to live out their rally driver fantasies. It’s even inspired other automakers to create AWD vehicles with a rally-inspired image.
It’ll be interesting to see how Audi adapts as it faces increasingly stringent emission regulations. The company has already begun building a lineup of fully electric vehicles. Quattro remains a big part of Audi’s brand image, even though mechanically speaking vehicles like the Q8 E-Tron SUV share nothing with older gas-burning Quattro models.
Audi sells its Q8 E-Tron electric SUV in two body styles, which cater to different types of buyers.
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